Scots yacht skipper arrested over £96m haul as cops seize 1.2 tonnes of cocaine

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A Scottish man has been arrested after a £96m cocaine haul weighing around 1.2 tonnes was found on a boat crossing the Atlantic.The 29-year-old skipper, from Stornoway, was nicked alongside two others after officers from the National Crime Agency launched an international drug trafficking probe.Teaming up with law enforcement agencies in France and Spain, the yacht was raided around 1,200 miles east of the Caribbean island Martinique on December 18.Officers recovered around 40 bales of cocaine, which they believe was destined for the UK, from the Spain-registered vessel.The Scot, who has not been named, was arrested alongside a 62-year-old man, originally from Lincolnshire and now resident in Spain, and his 24-year-old son.

They are set to face criminal charges in Martinique - an overseas region of France. Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. The NCA’s International Liaison Officer in Madrid, Paul Owen, said: “This multinational operation has seen a huge consignment of cocaine prevented from reaching Europe, and huge profits denied to organised criminals.“I have no doubt that some of these drugs were destined for the UK.

Tackling these global networks requires international law enforcement cooperation, and I’m grateful to our partners in France, Spain, the Caribbean and MAOC-N for their assistance.“Working together we are determined to do all we can to target, disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking groups, and prevent them from fuelling violence, intimidation and decay in UK communities.” The operation saw officers from the NCA’s international network working alongside the Spanish Policia Nacional, French customs (DNRED), the French Navy and the